A Salute to the Big Band Era
Lees-McRae stages the musical Swing! April 2-4 in Banner Elk

By Jeff Eason

Between the early jazz and blues era of the 20s and 30s and the rock and roll era of the 50s and 60s lies the big band era of the 40s. Forever wedded with World War II, the big band era is responsible for some of the most inventive and enduring music America has ever created. Swing tunes such as “Swing Brother Swing,” jazz standards such as “Caravan” and romantic ballads such as “Cry Me A River” make the big band era one of the most diverse and influential in musical history.

The Lees-McRae College’s Division of Performing Arts will salute the big band era when it stages the musical production Swing! at the Hayes Auditorium in Banner Elk April 2-6. Tickets for the musical are on sale now and all veterans get in free.

“There has never been another era to match the age of swing,” said Dr. Janet Barton Speer, director of the show. “Each song brings images to our mind of a time when the country pulled together in unprecedented fashion, and artists came together to compose music and dance to match the feeling.”

With songs written by the luminaries of the big band era, Swing! takes the audience on a whirlwind musical tour of the 1940s. Borrowing choreography from the Broadway shows and movie musicals of that time, the show is drenched in nostalgia, spirit and energy.

“Swing! is a 1940s-style musical, much like a USO revue from the World War II era,” said musical director Jim Taylor. “There’s really no story to it, just a lot of great music from the era such as ‘G.I. Jive,’ ‘Stomping at the Savoy’ and ‘I’ll Be Seeing You.’”

According to Taylor, the instrumentation of the musical utilizes a “small big band” featuring drums, bass, guitar, piano, trombone, saxophone and trumpet.” Unlike many LMC productions, the band will be right on stage with the singers and the dancers.

“There are about 25 students in the cast and we took on this musical as a class project this semester for our Highlander Show Choir,” said Taylor. “We spent much of the semester researching the songs and looking at this era in American history from a musical point of view.”

Added Speer, “Our Students have been totally engaged in this project as they have come to love the music as much as their grandmothers and grandfathers did.”

Student performers for Swing! are Shaquera Alls, Lauren Ayer, Adrienne J. Bergeron, Mindi Bishop, Bruce Bradberry, Justin Bulla, Ashleigh Contouris, Tamilee Espinosa, Desiree Foley, Jarett Koski, Harrison Lee, Heather Leuphold, Aaron Lineville, Megan McCarthy, Melisa Miles, Caitlin Moss, Sierra Phipps, Stephen Redmon, Meghan Rey, Brandon Samples, Jake Sheffer, James Shimo, Beth Simpson, John Warrick and Mason Weaver.

Production staff for Swing! includes stage manager Desiree Foley, assistant stage manager Kasey McKittrick, co-technical directors Danielle Baisden and Chris Carr, board operator Laura Smith, spot operators Mason Weaver and Michael Pesta, costume designer Dr. Michael Hannah, costume assistants Mindi Bishop, Dr. Tessa Carr, Ashleigh Contouris, Tamilee Espinosa, Justin Hall and Tonya Patterson, technical assistants Justin Bulla, Ashleigh Contouris, Desiree Foley, John Lynne, Rachel Ponder, Laura Smyth and Mason Weaver, properties master Jarrett Koski, properties assistants Mindi Bishop and Harrison Lee, sound designer Jason Pickering, sound assistant Rachel Ponder, house manager Bruce Bradberry, assistant house manager John Lynne, and box office manager Lucy Geouge.

Musicians for the show include Rod Berry on flute, clarinet and saxes, Dave Toler on trumpet, Chris Cloud on trombone, Daniel McCarthy on guitar, Graydon Eggers on bass, David Abernethy on drums and percussion, and Paul Adamson on keyboards.

“I also have a story of my own,” said Speer. “My mother’s favorite song was ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ because Dad was in the Navy and she never knew where he was, or when he would be home. She knew he was on his way to Japan when they dropped the bomb. It wasn’t until he walked in the door that she knew he was truly home.”

“Swing provides a lot of challenging music for our students with a lot of three and four-part harmonies,” said Taylor. “But has also been a lot of fun.”

Tickets and Times

Tickets for the Lees-McRae College production of Swing! are $12 for adults and $5 for children. All veterans of the U.S. Armed Services get in free. The show will take the stage at the Hayes Auditorium in Banner Elk Wednesday, April 2nd through Saturday, April 5th at 7:30 p.m. with an additional matinee on Sunday, April 6th at 2 p.m. For more information, or to order tickets, call the Hayes Auditorium Box Office at (828) 898-8709.

“We honor veterans with this show, and it is fitting, in our current state of way, and our reminisces of the past, that we do so,” said Speer.